Rooms — Dining

The Dining Room

The heart of the Manor. A silver bell summons the butler.

Queen's Butler — Definition

About The Dining Room

The Dining Room is the heart of the Manor, centred on a yew table by Bradley and a nine-light Maria Theresa chandelier, with chairs in homage to the House of Savoy, a Persian-patterned carpet, candelabra and a silver bell upon the table, and a gramophone. Afternoon tea, dining and meetings all take place here.

Yew

Yew: the tree that shaped English history.

In England the yew is a sacred tree planted in churchyards, and ancient specimens more than a thousand years old still stand across the country. The medieval English longbow was made of yew; it was this bow, in the hands of English archers, that defeated the French knights at Agincourt in 1415.

This table by Bradley of England, from the 1980s, is of twin-pedestal form, the top carried on two columns. It is the classic English dining table perfected in the Georgian era: with no legs in the way, every seat can be taken with grace. Length 2,286 mm; table height 787 mm.

Chandelier

Nine lights, bearing the name of Maria Theresa.

The Maria Theresa style, in which glass arms are clad in crystal plates, takes its name from the Habsburg empress and originated in eighteenth-century Vienna. It belongs to the tradition of Bohemian crystal.

On the ceiling is a plaster medallion of acanthus leaves. Since the Corinthian capitals of ancient Greece, the acanthus has been the most venerable motif in European ornament.

A butler standing beneath the chandelier

Queen's Butler is operated by the Japan Butler Association

Five furnishings of the Dining Room, presented with the butler's care

Dining Room

Light and sound

Nine lights and the gramophone envelop the long hours at the table

Nine lights and the table	The light of the Dining Room draws the length of the table and the faces around it into a single scene.
The gramophone	Should you wish for the sound of the gramophone, simply ask the butler. The butler attends to it, and the music begins in the quiet moment before the needle is lowered.
Day and evening	By day, compare the grain of the yew, the wine-red chairs and the Persian carpet; as the light deepens, turn your eye to the reflections in crystal and silver.
The butler's distance	The butler notices what you are looking at and offers only the explanation that is needed.

A butler in the wardrobe taking a top hat from the hat stand

Butler's view

Before drawing your chair, the butler looks at the table and the floor

Before you are seated	To serve in the Dining Room is to reconcile the beauty of the long table with the ease of your movement as you take your seat.
Seating for your party	For a guest alone, we leave space along the 2,286 mm top and prepare a seat from which the furnishings are easily admired. For two, seats facing or side by side change the distance of conversation.
Tea and what you bring	At afternoon tea, the butler's hands at the pot, the cups and the silver become part of the view. We do not serve meals, but you are welcome to bring your own food and drink.
The silver bell	When you rise, the butler steps behind your chair, minding the passage and your attire. We aim to anticipate your needs before the bell is rung, yet it is always placed within easy reach.

At the table

From the opening of the double doors to rising from the table

The Dining Room: yew table, chairs and chandelier

The double doors open

The butler opens the double doors at the threshold of the Dining Room and leads you to the table and its nine lights.

Choosing your seat

We ask about your party, your conversation and any wish to be photographed, and arrange where along the long table you will sit.

Drawing the chair

The butler places a hand at the chair back and helps you to be seated, minding your attire and the carpet.

Laying the table

Tea, silver, and any food or drink you have brought are placed safely, according to how you wish to spend the day.

Placing the silver bell

The bell is set within reach, and the butler withdraws to a place where your conversation is undisturbed.

What you may do in the Dining Room

Gather for afternoon tea and observe the butler's manner of service
Take the silver and porcelain in hand and feel their weight and patterns
Bring your own food and drink to share at the long table
Use the room for conversation or meetings, from one guest to a maximum of six
Be photographed against the furnishings, guided by the butler

What is left to the butler

The serving of meals
Moving silver or porcelain without the butler's guidance
Handling the candelabra or gramophone without the butler's guidance
Using the Manor unattended

Look closer

From the table, three stories to follow

Yew table

The Bradley yew table

The yew that shaped English history, and the twin-pedestal form that makes every seat easy to take.

Chandelier

The nine-light Maria Theresa chandelier

A form born in eighteenth-century Vienna, and the acanthus medallion on the ceiling above.

Tableware

Silver and porcelain

Watch the white-gloved handling and trace the provenance of a collection you may hold in your hands.

QHow many guests can the Dining Room seat?

A maximum of six. From one guest to several, the butler spaces the chairs so that conversation and movement are unhindered.

QAre meals provided?

We do not serve meals. You are welcome to bring your own food and drink, so please bring whatever you require.

QMay we touch the silver and porcelain?

Yes. You may take them in hand and watch the butler's handling at close quarters. The butler will guide you on each piece.

QMay we ring the silver bell?

Please do, without hesitation. The butler waits at a distance that does not intrude on conversation and comes to your side at its sound.

QIs there a dress code?

No special attire is required. Please come dressed for the day's purpose, in something that allows you to move comfortably among the chairs and across the carpet.

QDo female butlers also serve?

Our butlers include both men and women. If you have a preference, please let us know when booking.